The Taming of the Shrew
by la Savante
Summary: A scientist, an assassin and a poison - When two cold-blooded charakters like Gin and Sherry meet, passion will burn hot.
1. Chapter 1

Yey, I finally wrote something again! This has already been published on in German, also by me, so that's why it might sound familiar for German readers. I did however edit it quite heavily while translating, so you are more than welcome to read this version :)

The story is fully translated by now, the chapters just need some editing and proovereading. So I will probably be able to update once a week, depending on how much real life intervenes.

Of course I make no money with this and I do not own the charakters, I just like to play with them for a bit (or a lot).

That said, have fun reading. Reviews make me happy :D

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 **The Taming of the Shrew**

 **1.**

It was with quite a lot of reluctance that the young woman with the reddish brown hair let herself be dragged into the dark cellar room by her sister. There was a lot she didn't appreciate concerning her presence in this etablissement. The music was too loud, the dark room too packed, the dancing crowd too drunk and she had, in her opinion, a little too little on. All that did indeed annoy her – but Akemi not in the least. The young woman dragged her down the metal staircase with a joyful smile, and suddenly she found herself in the midst of a noisy, dancing, celebrating crowd where she felt decidedly uncomfortable. The air was stifling and smelled of smoke, sweat and alcohol.

Her sister had decided that she had to get distracted from her work in the lab, get something else than experiments and complicated metabolic cycles on her mind. And really, Shiho was in complete agreement with that – at least in theory. But her idea of a "nice convivial evening" seemed to differ decidedly from that of Akemi. That she was here nevertheless was all the fault of her benevolence, her sister's puppy dog eyes and not least a bottle of wine, that both had had an hour earlier. Definitely a bottle that Shiho regretted deeply, anyway.

Akemi soon disappeared in the dancing crowd but Shiho didn't mind too much. In fact, it may have been Shiho's fault they lost each other in the first place. On the contrary – it was her chance to leave the club without having to withstand the big begging eyes of her sister. She could easily pretend that she had looked for her long enough but oh so sadly didn't find her in the crowd. She would just text her when she was home again.

As she approached the steely staircase for that exact purpose, she saw him. He was casually leaning against the wall, a drink in his left hand, a cigarette in the corner of his mouth his black hat hiding most of his face in its shadows. The multicoloured lights of the dance floor illuminated his long, silvery hair and around him there was a bunch of giggling girls drooling over him, but all in condign distance. But he didn't pay them any attention, he just stood there, sipped his drink once in a while and smoked. He looked dangerous. And undeniably hot.

Shiho could thoroughly comprehend why those women were standing there but she had no interest whatsoever in joining them. She wasn't attracted to men like him. Well, technically she maybe was a tiny little bit, but… she was decidedly too sane to be interested in any contact with him. Probably he wasn't interested in her either – he didn't seem to be the kind of guy who preferred brains over big boobs. Willing, young girls he could play with seemed right for him, the ones without any dignity that would do whatever he wanted. But not her – every girl but her. Which was better, though.

Slightly shaking her head she continued making her way through the crowd to reach the exit when suddenly a hand laid itself heavily on her shoulder.

"Sherry," a dark voice spoke next to her ear and for a short moment she felt like she would faint.

But it was only a mere second of weakness before she found the strength to turn around and answer with a snippy "Gin" and the according annoyed look on her face. But while she managed to keep up the façade, her mind was racing. Why did he have to address her in a place like this? She felt uncomfortable enough already!

She knew him for a few months now and had found him to be an arrogant, narcissistic bastard who got himself off by ordering others around – including her, which was the worst thing about that. The first time they had met had been in the headquarters where she had presented her latest research results, several months after she had been assigned with the development of the Apoptoxin, a project that had been abandoned since her parents had died. He had been sitting in the back of the room, silently smoking a lot of cigarettes and following her every move with those creepy green eyes. The assassin must have had noticed that his gaze had confused her and she was sure he had had a lot of fun at her cost when she had been distracted by his gaze and his mere presence.

After the presentation he had introduced himself to her with a dark smirk and had outright explained that he wanted the toxin she was developing. The young scientist had replied that no one but her very self would decide when the poison would be progressing to test phase and who would have the honour to test it but of course he hadn't agreed to that.

Since then he used to turn up every once in a while, naturally in the most inconvenient situations, to try and persuade her to change her mind. He had tried sweet talking, threats, intimidations and then sticked to a combination of all three. Unsuccessfully, obviously.

Luckily, Sherry was smart enough to know her value for the Organization, to know that Gin would never kill her just like that as he was likely to face a similar fate or at least some very unpleasant punishments if he did. Of course he could try to make it look like an accident but it was pretty hard to keep secrets from the syndicate, almost everyone and everything was constantly shadowed and monitored. He maybe not – but she surely was followed more often than not and so it would be hard to kill her unperceived. Moreover, it was him who wanted something from her and Sherry paid a lot of attention to not granting any of her assistants access to the prototype toxin outside the lab. She was the only way for Gin to get his hands on the poison – and for that he had to keep her alive.

That was the reason why Sherry wasn't scared of the assassin – or rather why her brain told her she needn't be. But when you faced him like she was now, with nowhere to run, and looked in his unsettling emerald eyes, it was nearly impossible to even remember let alone believe that.

"I wouldn't have thought I'd meet you in a place like this," he smirked and savoured another drag on his cigarette before snapping the embers carelessly at her feet.

"We both wouldn't have."

Judging by the look of his facial muscles, he was raising his eyebrows at this, but she couldn't be sure as the hat hid them from view.

"So why are you here?"

"I'm afraid my sister can be very convincing. As well as half a bottle of wine can be."

She wasn't exactly sure why she had told him that but her research-trained analytical mind immediately surmised a correlation with the alcohol concentration in her blood. Which in turn lead her to only one conclusion: she shouldn't have had that last glass of wine. But as the damage was already done, it was best to go home and to bed as quickly as possible where the danger of making more alcohol-related mistakes like that was relatively low.

Gin on the other hand smiled slightly at her words as he bent down to look directly in her eyes.

"So you are drunk, Sherry," he stated contently and began to stroke his chin with his long, white fingers. "Very interesting, indeed. Well, what to do with a drunken little scientist…?"

His lips again curled into this evil smile of his as he answered his own question.

"Maybe this is the moment for us."

"For us to do what?" Sherry tried very hard and probably not equally successfully to hide her anxiety.

"To come to an agreement, of course."

"An agreement?" She suppressed the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes at his mysterious choice of words. She knew all too well what he wanted, of course, but it was not like him to beat around the bush like that. As well as she suppressed the urge to run either, but that was a feeling she was all too used to in the presence of the assassin.

"I want the apoptoxin."

Aaah, there it was.

"I know that. But I also know that you won't get it as long as I can prevent it."

A sinister shadow crept over his face for a split second then he smiled again his trademark evil smirk.

"We will see. But maybe…" His hand ghosted coolly over her cheek. "Maybe we can find something you want from me in return."

Sherry's heart raced – even more so than before. He shouldn't touch her like that, he shouldn't look at her like that. It made her feel – weird. She gasped for air almost desperately.

"What would I want from you?" She spat the words at him and finally succumbed to the urge of running away. It was a relieving feeling to turn from him and ascend the metal staircase but Gin's hand on her shoulder held her back a second later.

"Let's walk a bit."

"I'd love to. Just tell me where you walk so that we don't meet coincidentally on the way."

Gin laughed quietly. He really shouldn't have expected anything but a snippy answer. He strangely enjoyed those battles of words they were fighting whenever he addressed her about the Apoptoxin.

"Oh Sherry, always such a shrew."

"Well, that's due to my nature. And to the fact that you're so dislikeable," she hissed disdainfully as she climbed the stairs before him.

It really was an amusing game he played with the little scientist, Gin decided smugly. She definitely had a way with words and besides she _was_ beautiful. He hadn't really tried to seduce her since their first encounter, but there always was something he couldn't quite put his finger on in her demeanor that told him she was not as opposed to the possibility as she wanted him to believe. Maybe it was her decidedly pronounced obstreperousness; maybe it was just a little bit too much to be genuine. He smirked. Maybe it was time to try.

As they reached the alleyway to stand in the flickering light of the not-so-well working street lights he grabbed her chin, almost tenderly but with a finality that dared her resistance. He saw her gasp yet again and stare in his eyes – unbelieving, scared and… nervous, maybe. It was hard to tell. It always was with her – it was part of why she was so intriguing.

He smiled and bent down to her until only mere millimeters separated their faces.

"Well, so let's see if I'll be able to tame the shrew, then." It was hard to miss the seduction in his smooth voice but Sherry seemed to manage.

"Certainly not." She tried to sound placid but there was a slight tremble in her voice as well as in her whole body that belied her calmness.

"Will you, nill you, I will marry you," he whispered, his lips not a fingerbreadth from hers.

While Sherry had managed to ignore the enticing tone in his previous words there was now something undeniably seductive about them. And it was not by accident. Nothing was, with Gin.

It was the magic of the moment that captured her, held her and only for this short moment she wanted to succumb to the sudden need to feel those thin, cruel lips on hers. But she was stronger than that and so she pulled herself together – and away from him.

"You don't want to marry me, you want the poison," she remarked drily and smoothed her brown cloak down neatly, aware that it was a mere displacement activity but hoping Gin would not notice. The assassin however just grinned as if he knew exactly what she had felt in this small magical moment when they had been so close. Shiho snuggled deeper in her coat involuntarily.

"It was just a quote, Sherry."

"So you're able to quote Shakespeare, congratulations. And next you're going to tell me that the sun is shining just now, right?" she shot back, still angry about her second of weakness – it was something she could not afford in such proximity to such a dangerous man.

Gin glanced upwards to the clouded sky in the dark night.

"Not yet," he drawled. "To begin with I would be content if you'd agree when I tell you that you should give me the poison."  
"You know… maybe you are right, Gin. Maybe you deserve it after all," the scientist replied smoothly and gloated at his irritated look. "Two capsules should be enough for your body weight, I think. Or do you prefer to receive it intravenously?"


	2. Chapter 2

Just to make this clear for everyone: I do know the play "The Taming of the Shrew". It is not exactly a feministic piece of literature, sure. It is chauvinistic. It is impertinent. Yes. But it is also very funny and as al plays of Shakespeare an amazingly witty piece of art.

This fanfic is not about abuse. It is about the meeting of two strong-willed characters who try to dominate each other. They refer to the play several times and that is all the reason I had to name this story after it.

Have fun reading! As always, reviews make me happy :)

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2.

When she found herself in a dark, narrow side street next to the club in which she had been dragged rather violently and stood against the dirty wall with a Beretta against her temple, Sherry admitted she had gone too far this time.

"You will not hurt me," she gasped with some effort but with tears in her eyes and a voice trembling so badly that even she had trouble understanding herself the words were hardly convincing.

"You think so?" His voice was soft and quiet but his sharp articulation prevented not understanding him. He was painfully close. "I probably won't kill you but there is so much else…" He chuckled evilly. "Look around Sherry, you are alone. No one can help you."

He was right. The street was dark and dirty, not a place where any passer-by would walk through any minute. There were large rubbish containers packed with the club's garbage and rats – a lot of rats. Sherry could see their beady red eyes glaring at her from the darkness, their cheeping like malevolent laughter in the cool air.

She was lost.

It was the exact moment of her realization that Gin chose to begin stroking her cheek with his free right hand, disconcertingly gentle when the metal muzzle of his gun pressed in her skin on the other side of her face. He lingered for some time until his fingers traveled further to her neck, ever so slowly.

It took all the strength she had left but Shiho managed to look him straight in the eye all the time, pouring all the detestation she felt in her gaze and waited. It was a game of power, she understood. It always was, with Gin.

The look on the assassin's face, on the other hand, was that of a big cat regarding his helpless prey – content, evil, about to kill it and feast on the body. The thought was strangely arousing to Sherry. Feasting on her body… he wouldn't be gentle, despite his tender touches right now, she was sure. She wouldn't want him to be. He would take control over her, something no one ever achieved. A thrilling thought, indeed – and just what he wanted her to think, surely. He knew about his strange dark charm and he knew how to use it to his advantage to make her succumb to it. But she wouldn't. Never. Sherry again concentrated on putting all the hate and disgust she could muster in her stare.

But it was so hard! His calloused fingers gently exploring her neck felt better than she wanted to acknowledge, and it was almost impossible not to think of how it would feel if they started trailing downwards over her breasts, the hard, sensitive tips… Yet there was still a gun at her temple and it helped stashing away those unwelcome thoughts considerably.

Gin's finger followed every contour of her face, danced over her neck, touched places which she didn't know could trigger such sensations. His index finger followed the line of her collarbone, then some millimeters south under her coat and back up to her shaking shoulder, her neck, her ear. He had her. He was sure he did. Just a little bit more…

Just then he felt something hard beneath the collar of her coat and palpated it as a small tracking device often used in the Organization. Of course he should have expected it. She was being observed, he knew that, she was too young, didn't prove her loyalty yet, it was normal – but not tonight. For tonight her observers should rather think she was having fun in this goddamn club till morning. They would notice early enough that the device must have gone… _lost_.

He ripped the piece off without her notice but to let in fall down he would have to draw back his hand. Too bad, he had that feeling that she was close to losing her resistance, but it couldn't be helped. He didn't want to be observed tonight.

No, he thought with a smirk. Tonight she was his.

Shiho fought the best she could, tried her best to ignore the heat, the feelings that threatened to emerge and prayed silently that the thoughts that grew harder to suppress wouldn't make her blush. When he touched a small spot behind her earlobe she almost couldn't keep herself from throwing her arms around his broad chest, from tasting those lips, from losing herself in a kiss of pure passion. It wouldn't take long now until one of those hardly suppressed sighs would escape her lips. He would win this little game, sooner or later. It was just so hard to focus on the Beretta on her temple.

And then he suddenly drew back.

There was a short moment of sweet, almost euphoric victory and then there was a longer moment of disappointment. There was this small utterly stupid part of her that would have loved to lose as long as he wouldn't have stopped touching her like this. Needless to say it was a part that Sherry disapproved of greatly.

"I had no idea how much of a shrew…" he sighed scowlingly and stashed the Beretta away under his coat. Shiho's eyes followed the weapon skeptically.

Following her gaze he snarled grumpily. "The safety wasn't even released."

The missing weapon pointing at her temple made breathing easier – as well as the missing fingers caressing her face, but Sherry refused to think about that – and so the young scientist crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly and undeniably proud.

"What in the world makes you think I could enjoy you touching me like this?" she snapped. "You could have just asked me, then we could have skipped this whole episode and I would be lying neatly in my cozy bed by now."

"What makes me think that? The way you look at me sometimes when you're not aware of it. The way you act around me… I've never been sure, my sweet little scientist, but when you saw those bitches around me your look could have killed. So I decided it was worth a try."

"Maybe it would have worked better without a gun pointing at my brain," she surmised drily.

"Probably. But I would assume you would have run or slapped my hand away."

"Of course."

"You see? These weapons," he pointed at the pocket of his coat in which he had stashed the gun. "are always so much more persuasive than simple talking."

Sherry sneered at that.

"Not always, Gin."

"No?" The assassin raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"No. For example when you want to win a girl's heart they're rather constraining, I would assume."

He came half a step closer again, his smirk made her cringe involuntarily.

"Sherry… should I ever feel the need to own a woman's heart, I will personally cut it out of her chest."

She should have expected that of a man like him. Yet it surprised her a little. Had he never been in love in his entire life?

The scientist smiled disdainfully.

"I guess even if you wanted you could not win a woman's heart."

Gin looked at her intently and for a rather long time. What would he do with a girl's heart? He was perfectly content with their bodies and there were more than enough beautiful women who were more than willing to give him everything he asked of them. If one of those fell in love with him it was usually rather annoying to get rid of her again so he tried to avoid that mostly. And yet… the girl in front of him did have a nice body, yes, but without her mind, her heart, it would not be remotely interesting.

"I never really tried."

With that he turned around and stepped out on the scarcely illuminated street.

"Sherry? You want to wait back there until someone else turns up to kill you?"

The girl snorted rather unladylike but followed him out nevertheless – of course not without shooting him one of those killing glances that she gave so readily to him.

"I'm leaving," she then announced, in that inimitable, seemingly bored tone of hers.

The blonde assassin shook his head slowly.

"I think not." He smiled wintry. „You are drunk, Sherry. I would be stupid to not take the chance you are presenting me here. I want the Apoptoxin."

"Not drunk enough for you to have a chance."

"Too bad. We should change that, then, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

Gin's malicious smile made her cringe yet again as he pulled her closer to lift her chin with his right hand to make her look up to him.

"That, Sherry, was an invitation. And it would not be clever for you to refuse it."

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Hope you enjoyed it, I would like to hear what you think :)


	3. Chapter 3

Tada, the next chapter. Thank you for the follows and alerts!

I really would be happy about a few reviews, though.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

Shiho glanced around in the small but rather cozy bar for the umpteenth time and still hoped against hope she was merely having a particularly horrible nightmare. Gin had forced her to come here, had just grabbed her and dragged her with him without even paying attention to her sad attempts to break free. At some point however she had stopped struggling and instead settled to throwing killing glances at him. It was about as useful as struggling but less exhausting by far.

So what if he invited her to drink with him? She wouldn't give him the Apoptoxin anyway.

This was how the litte lab rat Shiho Miyano, the Orgaization member Sherry, barely important enough to have a code name, found herself here in this pretty little bar, sitting vis-à-vis with the most important and also most dangerous man of the whole syndicate. It was warm in here, Shiho decided, almost too warm, the walls draped in black and dark grey, the floor a dark parquet that had seen better days. There was not much decoration, it was too dark to see too much of it anyway and the tables were set up in small niches to grant the guests some privacy that Gin surely highly approved of. No other people came too close and large carpets on the floor prevented them from making too much sound when walking around in the room – it was creepily silent for a crowded bar like this. She could in any case see why Gin had chosen this establishment. The anonymity that came with crowds mixed with enough privacy to talk about things no one should overhear.

Gin himself had shrugged off his coat and now sat opposite her in a grey shirt and without his ever present hat. It was a weird sight, she had to admit – he almost looked like a normal person when not completely clad in black. Almost, because his murderous green eyes were a constant reminder of whom she was dealing with.

When they had entered the small bar Gin had monosyllabically ordered two glasses of Sherry, oddly glancing over his shoulder before getting seated in one of the niches that was not visible from the door. His glass still stood in front of him almost untouched but Sherry's was – and not by any chance voluntarily – empty. Shiho felt the alcohol fogging her brain as well as her sight.

"So, how are you feeling?" Gin asked with a sinister voice.

"Drunk."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to give you the Apoptoxin, though." She slurred, she noticed distantly and the pronunciation of 'Apoptoxin' was strangely difficult but she couldn't bring herself to really care. However she was not the only one noticing the alcohol starting to affect her.

"We're getting closer," he mused to himself, nodding contently and taking a sip from his sherry. Then, once again he glanced around in the room, as if looking for something – or someone – in particular.

"So you need to get me sloshed to reach your goal? That is pathetic, Gin."

She knew it was playing with fire to provoke him like that but Shiho found she felt somewhat bold. She also knew – theoretically – that it was due to the alcohol but it was so hard to stay silent.

Gin however, didn't seem offended, as he merely smirked at her.

"My patience is limited. And when the limit is reached I'm not too proud to go the easiest way to get what I want."

"It's still pathetic."

That was when his features visibly darkened and his eyes began to gleam dangerously.

"Guard your tongue, Sherry!"

"I will do no such thing! Alcohol is supposed to loosen the tongue, isn't it? You wanted me to drink, now you will face the consequences."

It felt odd, somehow, to be as audacious as she was right now, but strangely liberating to just say what she thought. Gin raised an eyebrow at her but then nodded with a small grin.

"Fine. I'll try."

He looked like he was laughing at a joke she just made that Sherry hadn't understood. She frowned but it only widened his grin. Being drunk was really a strange feeling.

A cocktail and two glasses of wine later Sherry had to admit she was hopelessly sozzled. But it was not only her; Gin also didn't look completely sober anymore after the three glasses of whiskey and the wine he had inebriated. Although he was still far away from being really drunk, probably.

"That's enough. I can't drink any more of this," she finally announced, trying to sound as determined as she possibly could.

"I should hope it's enough by now, Sherry. So let's talk about the Apoptoxin again, shall we?"

She snorted disdainfully.

"What would you want with it, anyway? It's just a prototype!"

"Kill people, Sherry. That's what a poison is normally used for, after all. Or what did you think why you're developing it?"

Shiho frowned.

"At this point I am still able to detect remnants of it in the body, even when using the smallest possible concentration. The police has well equipped laboratories at their disposal, the scientists will surely find out how it works and then it all was in vain. It would be simply stupid to use it now!"

Gin gave her a sinister smirk.

"Ah, but not if I tested it on a member of the Organization, my dear. I would see to it that you would have the honour to examine the body and find your own remnants. But of course you wouldn't tell anyone."

"No?"

"No. Think of it… a member of the Organization is killed by your poison… what could that mean for you, I wonder?"

"Severe punishment if I'm very lucky and would be able to prove someone stole the Apoptoxin from me. Otherwise death," she sighed, defeated. He was right, she knew. She would probably write something about cardiovascular failure, for not reconstructable reasons – maybe unhealthy diet or constant stress or a combination of both.

"But you wouldn't kill someone of the Black Organization unless the attack is authorized by Anokata. So why should I bother to think about it?" she sniffed disdainfully.

"You're so sure about that?" He raised his eyebrows at her and it made him look rather sexy. No, it didn't, Shiho corrected herself in the same moment. She was not attracted to danger. No.

"Yes…"

"Don't overestimate my loyalty, Sherry. I do serve Anokata allegiantly, for several reasons, but that does not mean I agree with his every decision."

"Who would you kill with it?" Shiho whispered breathlessly. This had to be a dream. It just head to be! It was far too dangerous for her to know such things, such plans and yet she couldn't keep herself from asking.

"Well, for example there is this little lab rat that doesn't seem to stop annoying me."

There was no movement in his face, his voice was steady and suggestive and yet Sherry was sure he was bluffing.

"I won't be able to fake the reports for you then."

He laughed darkly and the young scientist once again noticed how seductive that sound was.

"Well, in that case I might spare you."

"How very gracious," she replied drily which made Gin laugh a little bit more.

"Indeed. You could repay me with the poison, you know?"

"Not even in your dreams, Gin."

Gin smiled thinly at that. He caught himself enjoying these conversations with her more and more. And she _was_ beautiful. He glanced at her thoughtfully.

"It's a pity, really, to hide such a pretty girl in one of those labs," he finally said in a low voice and allowed himself to take another intense look at the cleavage she was wearing today. It was clearly visible she was not comfortable with it and it was always interesting how the little scientist reacted when she was unsettled.

"You're trying flattery now?" she asked and clearly tried to sound amused but it had not escaped his observation that her cheeks had become considerably redder than before at the compliment. She was not immune to him after all. It was worth another try, he decided.

"It is true, though. A well shaped body like yours hidden under a bulky lab coat, your beautiful face locked away in a lab deep down in some cellar… a shame, isn't it?"

"My lab is on the first floor."

Again she obviously tried not to look affected, but the small reappearing blush and the short but intense sparkle in her eyes gave her away. The alcohol had finally dissolved her otherwise perfect pokerface. He grinned. He had her, it was clear as day. A little more pushing the right buttons and she would be his – he would have her exactly where he wanted her. Except that he couldn't deny his own growing interest in her any longer. He was a goddamn idiot, he thought darkly to himself. The point in seducing her was to use it to his advantage and get his hands on the precious poison but there _was_ no advantage if he desired her as much as she did him. Speaking of which – she may be flattered at his compliments, but there was still not much desire perceptible.

Sherry meanwhile watched the play of his features intently. Normally it was completely impossible to deduce anything of the thoughts and feelings hidden behind those astonishing green eyes, but the alcohol had left some traces on him, too. He was thinking about something and he was irritated about it. Maybe the fact that she hadn't been responsive to his compliments? Oh, he had flattered her and a small part of herself was already falling even more for the dangerous man in front of her, but she was a smart girl. It could only end horribly and just considering the option was a blatant mistake – which was caused by the alcohol in her system undoubtedly. She really should find a way to go home and sleep it off.

One of the waiters suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"A little something from an anonymous admirer, madam," he announced with a toothy smile and put a glass of sherry in front of her on the desk.

"Thank you… I guess…"

The assassin silently watched the small interaction, eying the drink and its recipient thoughtfully. His mood dropped considerably as she happily admired that damned glass. What was the point of this? He had paid for more than just one drink and he had only earned glares from her for it so far.

Again his gaze flew to the short man sitting at the bar in Sherry's back. He was sure the 'anonymous admirer' was him, he had been ogling his little scientist all night, had been observing her and looking daggers at Gin himself. He contemplated going to him and pouring the whole bloody drink in his ugly face but eventually decided against it.

The man had noticed he was watching him and looked decidedly uncomfortable at the attention. Good. He deserved to be scared. Although that little cretin looked almost too scared. And anxious. And exited. And he didn't let Sherry out of his sight the whole time… no, not Sherry, but her drink!

With a snarl he snatched the glass away from his little scientist who was just about to take a sip of it and lifted it to his own lips – with a very interesting result: the rat at the bar went white as a sheet in an instant and dropped his glass of wine.

Shiho heard the noise from the bar, and she also noticed Gins particularly interested glare in that direction, but she felt too tired, too drunk, too everything, to care about broken glasses. It was not a conscious decision when she reached for the drink the assassin had snatched away but it lead to a result, that even she couldn't ignore: he extinguished his cigarette in it. Surprised and also a bit angry she looked up at Gin but he didn't say anything or even meet her eyes.

"It's late." He finally announced rather abruptly.

"Does that mean I'm allowed to go home?"

He seemed to consider it for some time although his eyes were not on her but on some point behind her back. Maybe there really was something interesting going on back there but she still didn't care enough to turn.

Gin's face darkened again for a second and then he said something really strange.

"Yes."

Yes as in she actually was allowed to go home? Yes as in this was finally over? Sherry blinked.

"Yes?" was all she managed to say.

"Yes. And now go before I change my mind."

Sherry ran. Well, she tried to, at least. Her shoes were not really made for running. And it was still so hard to coordinate all her body parts. But still she ran as fast as she could. Away from him, away from everything. Away from the dangerous feelings that stirred within her when she was close to him.

But she couldn't run from her thoughts. Thoughts about Gin, about him quirking his eyebrow, about him speaking in that low, seductive voice. And about how strange he had acted. The assassin didn't do compliments and most of all he didn't let people go just because they asked for it. He had wanted the Apoptoxin and he hadn't got it so why was she here? Why did he let her go? Something was wrong.

Sherry stopped short in her tracks.

Something was wrong. And it was something about that glass of sherry someone had sent her.

She felt watched, somehow. It was dark and she was drunk and wore those high heels she couldn't really run in. She gulped. It was her imagination. It had to be her imagination.

Then she heard hurried footsteps on the asphalt.

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I would love to hear what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I was finally able to upload this, it didn't work all day yesterday. Anyway, thank you for your feedback, hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Cheers!

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4.

Sherry turned but there was no one to be seen, the street was deserted and she was alone. Alone in her too high heels feeling drunk and anxious.

It was just the echo of her own steps.

The young scientist took a second to breathe deeply and went on. Took careful steps, not too fast, not too slow. Maybe a little too fast.

Again the sound of hurried steps.

Again she turned but everything was dark and silent. She was alone, wasn't she? The street lay empty in the flickering light of the street lamps behind her.

A window shutter somewhere on her right rattled and Shiho spun around, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. Somehow she found herself wishing she hadn't left. That Gin was still with her to guard her… She snorted silently. Yes, sure he would protect her from other people but the greatest danger of all was the assassin himself. She just wasn't sure if it was his gun or his seductive voice that was the worst. But he wasn't here now, was he? She didn't have to think about him. She would just go to bed and be done with it, everything would be back to normal again and she would never again drink a drop of alcohol.

She rushed on, her heels clicking too loudly yet there seemed to be more feet around than her own. Whenever she stopped the sound went on for just a little bit too long to be her own. But it was just a strange echo. It had to be.

Then a shot reverberated through the night and Sherry stopped dead. There was no way to explain that with her clicking heels and a weird echo. Neither could they explain the faintly smoking little hole in the asphalt that was much too close to her panting form.

Something within her screamed to run, to hide, to do anything but her limbs wouldn't obey. She stood frozen to make an even easier target for the shooter, couldn't move, couldn't think.

Then there was a man cursing behind her, a muffled scream and another shot.

And then there was silence.

Shiho turned slowly to see Gin standing there, gun in hand, his gaze on a lifeless form on the ground.

She fell to her knees, suddenly deprived of every strength, shaking silently. She didn't want to know what happened, she didn't want to hear whose bullet so narrowly missed her. All she wanted to do was cry like a child, comforted in the arms of a loving mother or a strong father. But she didn't have anyone left. Shiho didn't remember when she last felt so alone. But she was. She was all alone.

Gin however leisurely pocketed his gun before he stepped closer.

„Look at him."

"No." It couldn't be her voice, so thin, so pathetic. It must be someone else's.

"I said look at him!" He wasn't loud, but that only made him sound more dangerous. But she didn't care. He could kill her right now for all she cared. She was too weak to carry on.

"No!"

"Sherry…" He grabbed her wrist and ruggedly pulled her to her feet. „That was an order."

„Please. I can't." So pathetic. A part of her that hadn't completely given up yet was disgusted at the weakness she showed. Weakness in front of Gin, to make matters even worse. But it was a small part. Most of her was just exhausted, still frozen to shock, still lacking any will to battle him with witty words as she normally would. The world blurred before her eyes as the tears came, she was still shaking and her breath came in ragged hitches.

But the assassin didn't care. Remorselessly he dragged her on to the bloodied body on the dirty asphalt, but Sherry noticed distantly how he also supported her weight, careful she wouldn't fall. She would have thought it weird, had her mind worked properly.

He pitied her a little bit. Not much and she really was acting pathetic, but still he understood. It was very likely the first murder she had to witness, the first time someone fired a bullet at her. The first attempt to kill her. It was something that was hard to get used to, still, even for men like him. It was normal to react like this. It was the shock. He tried hard not to yell at her to stop the pathetic sobbing, to be gentle. And he tried equally hard not to think about why the hell he even cared.

Sherry didn't struggle but still did the best she could not to lean on him too much, trying to avoid too much closeness but mere seconds later, when she looked in the face of his latest victim she fell against him, grateful for his support.

"No," she whispered breathlessly. "No, this can't be true…"

Sherry stared helplessly at the well known face in front of her, the brown eyes that used to sparkle with joy when an experiment had worked, the mouth that had so often discussed the results with her. In front of her was Amagnac, a colleague, a fellow scientist who worked with her on the Apoptoxin – had worked. Now he was dead. They had always worked well together, she had considered him a friend – and now he was dead!

"This little motherfucker has just tried to kill you, Sherry. Twice."

"No…" She collapsed to a violently shaking heap, only held by Gin's firm grip. „No…"

„A colleague, right?"

"More like a subordinate. I'm responsible for the Apoptoxin-project, but he was… he was good and efficient and nice… he was like… I thought he was a friend," she whispered.

"You liked him."

"Yes."

"You had something going on with him?" Suddenly his voice was even colder than normal.

"No! We just worked together."

Through the veil of her tears she realized Gin looked distinctively happy at that.

"I guess he wasn't content being your subordinate."

When the first shock wore off it became easier to breathe again. Very slowly, she was able to even her breathing, to stop the pathetic sobs that were shaking her. What was she doing? Breaking down in front of Gin was not an option! She was strong. She always was strong and independent and safe behind her wall of sarcasm and indifference. She took a deep breath and tried to dry her tears with the back of her left hand. The right one was still in Gin's, she realized. It was a strange feeling, he actually had warm hands. Somehow she had always imagined him being as cold as his eyes…

"Probably would have been better for you if he had succeeded. If I was dead and he was responsible maybe you would have been able to seduce him to get the damn poison." It felt good to be sarcastic again. Normal, despite her wet face and the dead body in front of her and her hand still clasped in his.

"If he had succeeded I would have chased him through hell and back until he would have begged for death." She looked up in his eyes at this. There was no irony there. No sarcasm. No hint he was joking. It was scary and yet oddly soothing. He was _protecting_ her!

"Then no one would be able to continue the project."

"So?" Gin met her gaze, still dead serious. „I wouldn't have cared."

Suddenly he was even closer, his right hand on the small of her back, the left still holding hers. She couldn't help but stare at him, drown in the cold green sea of his eyes. She knew he was lying, she knew it was just another attempt to get his way, to seduce her, but she didn't have the strength to care anymore. Let him get what he wants, let him have it all, as long as he would just protect her.

Sherry closed her eyes, defeated and yet content and a small eternity later their lips met in an almost tender kiss. As she had expected Gin immediately took control, his right hand wandered up to her neck, guiding her head to the side to deepen the contact. It was strange and yet so satisfying to feel his tongue on her lips, tentative at first, almost playful and then more and more demanding. She protracted the inevitable for a few more seconds but soon parted her lips to finally feel what it was like to kiss him. It was different than she had imagined – and she had imagined it so often! – not as demanding, not as abrasive as she had feared. He did take the lead, but in a way that made her feel oddly safe. She refused to open her eyes, to see the victory written all over his face that she knew was there. For some minutes she just wanted to pretend that everything would be okay. That this was a happy moment and not the first step into the inevitable doom. It was strange, she thought, how the wrong things always felt so good. And this, this was the greatest wrong of them all – it must be, because it felt like nothing else before.

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Do you see this little review field below? Looks nice, doesn't it? I'll tell you a secret: it looks even nicer, when you write in there what you think and then submit it. You'll get a thank you note and everything! Try it :)


	5. Chapter 5

Yep, she's still alive. And yes, she has finally managed to update this story. I'm still not entirely happy with this chapter, but I guess it's a good as it gets. Hope you enjoy and thank you to Kakashi1901 for reminding me that I still have to finish this :)

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5.

Shiho was close to losing her mind, or so she thought as she drifted away in the passionate game their tongues were playing, floating on unnamed feelings and sensations. Armagnac, the whole world around her paled, was forgotten in that one kiss that felt so much better than any touch before in her life. His hands roamed her body, and deep in the fainting depth of her mind she knew it was inappropriate, but manners didn't count anymore in this strange new world she explored in his arms. His lips wandered down to her neck and she shivered helplessly, unable to suppress a disappointed sigh as he finally stepped away. A small sign of weakness that Gin would not leave without comment, of course. He laughed contently.

"You know what they say, Sherry, business before pleasure. As much as I would like to skip the business part though, but there is a body lying next to us."

"What are we going to do?"

Reality crept back in and although it made her want to cry again she was glad for it. As pleasant as the past minutes had been, the new sensations had also been frightening her to her bones.

Gin however didn't answer and instead pulled out his cell phone, his right hand swiftly gesturing her to be quiet.

"Vodka?... Yes… It's urgent, a body… no not an authorized attack, that's why I am calling you in the dead of the night… I don't really care, as long as it vanishes for good. Let him burn to his ashes I think." He laughed evilly and stated a street name, probably of the one they were currently standing in, before he hung up.

Silence followed as Gin's thoughts were obviously occupied with Armagnac's body and Sherry somehow felt forgotten. Of course she knew, she was not, he was merely dealing with the important things, with the business, as he had called it before but it felt uncomfortable anyway. She had never let anyone kiss her, touch her like this and just being ignored after that didn't sit right with her.

"Gin, this drink…?" she finally whispered to force her own thoughts back to the matter at hand.

"Was from him and probably poisoned."

"I was guessing as much but how did you know?"

Gin turned around to meet her gaze, his eyes as cold as ever, yet she believed to see some appreciation in them as he looked at her.

"He was following you the whole night. I saw him in that club and he lost us as we…" He smirked salaciously and slipped his left hand under her chin. "… had some fun in that little alleyway but found us again when we stepped out and followed us to the bar. At first I thought he was a suitor or a jealous lover of yours but then he sent this glass of sherry and his eyes didn't leave your hand. I wasn't sure what he was then either, but I decided to provoke him anyway and grabbed the drink. I think his heart nearly stopped beating when I moved it to my lips as if to drink from it. He dropped his glass and his face had gone white so I knew something was wrong and made the correct assumptions."

Sherry shivered involuntarily. Not one attack on her life, but two. Two, in just one night. And both times the most dangerous man she knew had saved her. And here she was, thinking she could make it without help, could handle the snakes that were the Men in Black. She hadn't even seen Armagnac. She would have died if it wasn't for Gin.

"You saved my life. Twice," she whispered.

"Yes, Sherry, I did." He again pulled her close to his body. „But I do have an idea for you to return the favor."

"You'd do anything to get that damn poison, wouldn't you?"

For a small moment there was silence and Gin's pensive gaze lay heavily on her. Shiho didn't dare to breathe, didn't want to think of what his answer could be. And yet she couldn't help but fall into his arms as he finally replied.

"No. Not tonight."

In the same instant she pressed her lips to his, got lost in the sensations that she didn't really know but already craved. She didn't know how she had found the strength, the guts to kiss him, she couldn't even remember that she actually decided to do so, but he didn't seem to object as he returned the kiss fervently.

But only for a short time until he again stepped away. And until she again sighed disappointedly.

"What is it Sherry? You'd rather be fucking right here on the street?"

She gasped at this, silenced by this one word that she hadn't dared to think about. Of course she wanted this man, wanted him to touch her, to do all those things to her that were forbidden. She had always wanted him but had been too sensible to act upon it. But now there was no turning back. They were past the point of no return and surely Gin wouldn't be pleased if she even tried. And yet, to go through all the way, to let him have all of her scared her.

"We're lucky no one witnessed anything," she finally said, just to say _something_.

"Yes. But then again, it is the dead of the night and we're in the middle of an industrial park. And, what is more important, there are no surveillance cameras around that I know of. Your little friend was a pathetically bad shot but at least he knew _where_ to try and shoot."

She nodded and stayed silent after that. She hadn't even thought about surveillance cameras yet. She hoped it was the alcohol. Sherry had privately always liked to think she would be able to kill someone unperceived should it ever become necessary. Now, she was not so sure.

About fifteen minutes later a small truck with gaudy advertisement of a cleaning company rolled their way.

"Oh no."

Shiho gasped and made to run but Gin held her back with a smirk.

"That's Vodka."

She lifted her eyebrows derisively.

"Really? A cleaning company?"

"Why not? It is some kind of cleaning, isn't it? He cleans the street of the body and cleanly disposes of it."

Minutes later they had roughly cleared the crime scene, stashed Armagnac in the transporter and were sitting in the driver's cab, Vodka in the driver's seat, Gin next to him and the scientist silently behind the blonde man in the backseat.

While they had been busy her thoughts had quieted somewhat more but now in the dark silence it was hard to ignore… everything. The fear. The need to scream. The burning sensation between her legs whenever her thoughts returned to the murderer in front of her. It was hard to sit still.

After a few minutes Sherry suddenly felt a hand touching her naked ankle and shin from the seat in front of her and while she suppressed a surprised hiss she could practically see Gin's smirk although he hadn't turned around.

For some time the hand was content just to stroke her shin in lazy circles but just as she relaxed again and got used to the feeling the hand wandered higher, up to her knee and further. Shiho stopped breathing altogether once the questing fingers had passed her knee as the sensations flooded through her fogged brain and tired body. It felt a little strange, but most of all it felt good. And it fuelled a fire within her, as much as their passionate kisses had but in a different, more pronounced way that made her skin tingle and her stomach flutter. And it made her want more. So Sherry, despite herself shimmied a little further in her seat, his hand immediately gliding higher up to the seam of her too short skirt, for some time just stroking her thigh and then motioning for her to part her legs to repeat his journey up from her knee but this time on the sensitive inside of her thighs. It was an overwhelming feeling that left her flushed and gasping for air. She slowly forgot about the world around her again as she focused on the hand caressing her tenderly, forgot she was not alone with Gin as she got lost in the strange sensations he evoked. Of course, deep down she knew that the overwhelming desire she felt was a result from all the adrenalin raging through her body, but that didn't really matter. Nothing mattered, but Gin's hand caressing her thigh.

So she almost yelped in surprise as Vodka suddenly started to speak in a slightly grumpy voice.

"You're actually keeping me from a particularly good movie, you know?"

He went on, talking about an action movie he had been watching on TV and whining about not being able to see the end but she could hardly even listen, much less comprehend what he said as Gin's left hand reached another centimeter higher on its quest, making her shudder in anticipation to unknown feelings yet to be discovered. Feelings, sensations to be analyzed thoroughly by her scientifically trained mind until she understood what was happening with her, discovered if it was the hormones or merely the alcohol making her feel so lightheaded. Somehow she found she couldn't wait.

Carefully she slid further forward in her seat, her breath hitching as he reached just a little higher. She would get mad. Shiho knew she would scream in frustration any moment now for him to be so close to the throbbing place between her legs and yet never touching it, not even being able to. There was a fleeting thought for it to be highly inappropriate, to be very unlike her to even want it so badly, inexperienced as she was, but it was forgotten immediately as he conquered yet another millimeter of her thigh.

His caresses were painfully slow as he effortlessly conversed with Vodka about several movies, seemingly completely unaffected by his actions. It was too much. As inconspicuous as she could she loosened her seat belt a little bit to shimmy further towards his questing hand, mere centimeters from her pulsing core but whenever the car passed over some bumps in the street she would slide back again. It was unbearably frustrating.

After endless moments of struggling against her belt it was only mere millimeters that separated the searching hand from its goal, the fingers stroking her thigh growing more agitated with every second that passed. Shiho's breath came in short hitches. There was this burning between her legs that wanted to make her scream in agony – but it was a strangely good kind of agony. It felt fantastic, arousing, felt like a promise of unnamed pleasures to come but at the same time it felt like torture. It felt like going crazy to feel his long fingers so unnervingly close to this point and yet never reaching it. She cursed the legroom of the transporter under her breath.

Shiho was lost in a sea of sensation, of desire and unknown lust that made her lose her mind. She struggled for every millimeter, for every micrometer to get closer to his fingers barely able to contain the scream of agony that was growing within her with every passing minute. It was just as Vodka called her name, asking her if she'd seen the movie they had been talking about, too, that she finally came to her senses again and managed a faint "No". She was almost lying in her seat, her legs spread wide with the short skirt, looking like a whore. The scientist felt the blood rushing to her cheeks, making her blush furiously and yet she couldn't bring herself to sit more upright. At least she managed to close the space between her legs, trapping Gin's hand between them. However just as she did that, the hand hesitated, even shook a little. Was she imagining things or was he suppressing laughter? Did he really dare to laugh at her?

The scientist fought yet another battle against herself. Could she allow this man to laugh at her? Could she allow him to let her make a fool of herself just for his own pleasure? Could she even allow him to touch her like this? She shouldn't. This was wrong. And yet, maybe, if she allowed him to… to have her, he would become her protector. She needed one, she now knew. She couldn't stay alive alone, in this dark syndicate. She needed someone powerful to guard her and her work. But would he really do that for her if she allowed him to have her? Or would he just take her and forget her after he was done? And what about the apoptoxin? That was what he wanted, right? Although it seemed it was not the only thing he wanted from her at the moment. And that put her in a position of power, didn't it? To have two things he wanted that only she could grant him. And yet,…

But all thoughts vanished into blissful nothingness as his fingers finally reached their destination, the touch so soft she could barely feel it but it was there. _There_. And it felt good.

The streets were a torture for Shiho as every small bump in the road let her slip back in her seat and away from Gin's touch. Had the street always been that rough?

But then there were also those small indescribable moments of pleasure when he was able to reach her, when she fought not to scream and not to rip away the seat belt that kept her from him. In those moments she forgot the pain, forgot the embarrassment, everything else but him. It felt good, easier than her normal life.

A good twenty minutes ride later Vodka brought their vehicle to a halt in front of a large, modern concrete apartment complex.

"Here we are." His voice boomed and Shiho jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice. Their driver stopped the engine and turned to face his partner directly. The scientist in the back was close to screeching at him as Gin's hand slipped back to her shin in order to sit more upright and not to be caught.

"Aniki, you just go and sleep, I'll take care of the rest." He glanced in the back mirror to take a quick look at her. "Sherry, poor girl, do you want me to drive you home before disposing of our dear friend in the back?"

She was not really up to answering. She had been concentrating so hard on not making any noise that actually doing that suddenly seemed like a strange concept. Her voice sounded hoarse and not like her own as she finally remembered how to speak.

"Thank you but that won't be necessary. I'm not living far from here so I can walk the rest of the way."

To be honest she hadn't been paying attention to where they were going and so she didn't have the faintest idea of where they were but leaving Gin was not an option. His hand seemed to approve as it squeezed her shin in consent at her words.

"You sure? You seem awfully shaken." He turned to look at her and Gin's hand vanished completely from her leg.

"Yes, thank you. I'm just confused and tired, but a little walk will probably help to sort my thoughts," she replied smoothly. The situation seemed to have sobered her up somewhat as it was surprisingly easy to lie in his worried looking face. She would have felt bad, but she didn't really have the capacity to feel anything else than burning need. And a good deal of fear, but that was something utterly sensible when dealing with Gin.

"If you're sure…" He turned back around and Shiho felt a relieved smile pass over her features for a second. Just then he turned to her again.

"It wouldn't be a bother, if that's what you're worried about. The movie's already over and Armagnac isn't in a hurry anymore." He gestured to the back where the body was currently located.

"No, it's fine, really. I do need some air."

Vodka shrugged but finally nodded and turned back.

"Good night then, you two. Watch out for the news article of the unfortunate fire at the docks in the newspaper tomorrow." He grinned and Gin nodded, then he opened the door and got out of the truck.

"What are you waiting for, Sherry?"

It was hard to get out, as she still felt somewhat dizzy. And somehow she doubted it was due to the alcohol in her system.

When the awfully gaily coloured truck had finally vanished around the next corner, Shiho couldn't be fast enough to twine her arms around Gin to engage him in a fierce kiss that he returned much more leisurely.

"Behave, love." He stopped her after only a few seconds, pushing her a few centimeters away. "Unless of course you want to start shedding clothes in the street."

This halted her attempts to get close to him again, but he just laughed at her staggered look and took his turn to kiss her with abandon. His hands started roaming yet again over her back and down to her bum where he grabbed the cheeks roughly. Sherry decided she rather liked that.

However after a few more minutes of blissfully exploring the sensations of kissing and being kissed that slowly grew familiar, he stepped back, smirking broadly.

"Well then, good night, sweet Sherry."

The girl looked up at him incredulously.

"Are you serious?"

Of course Gin wasn't. But it was time for him to see if he had succeeded; if he had really managed to tame the shrew.

"I can remember a time, not too long ago, when you've been convinced that I would never succeed in seducing you. And now you're almost begging me to do it. Shall I make you beg, my sweet Sherry?"

"But…"

The girl still stared at him almost helplessly, so unlike her normal fiery self. But then, the shock still hadn't worn off completely and she was drunk, so that was to be expected. Right now, she felt her safety, her life depended on him and he would use that feeling to his advantage. This feeling of dependence wouldn't last, he now had the chance to turn it into something different, something… different. Love? Could he make her fall in love with him? Did he _want_ to make her fall in love with him?

He pondered the thought for some time while he smirked down at her almost pleading expression. She was all bothered now, he had seen to that in the truck, but maybe she herself wasn't aware that he was only responsible for a small part of the desperation she felt. Adrenalin was a formidable aphrodisiac; he knew that from long experience.

He stepped closer to her again.

"When I say the sun is shining right now, would you agree?"

"Yes! It's a bright summer's day!" she confirmed, not caring about the dark night surrounding them.

He grinned devilishly.

"So after all I have managed to tame the Shrew."

With that he took her hand and was hardly able to find his keys to open one of the doors and shove her in before he proceeded to ravish her.

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Hope you enjoyed this. Just one chapter left, and yes it contains exactly what you think it will. Look forward to it ;)


	6. Chapter 6

This is it, finally. Took me long enough, I know. So, enjoy the last chapter!

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06.

His kiss took her breath and his hands took her mind. Nothing else counted, nothing else was even existent but the feeling, the wonderful feeling that his kisses and caresses created, and Shiho knew she would get lost in them.

He caressed her breasts, her arse, her thighs and although being touched like this had never before been an issue and the thought alone would have been enough to make her blush furiously, it now felt strangely natural, even _right_ somehow. It was the only possible continuation of what they had started earlier and she had stopped being afraid of it. Maybe she was just too drunk for that. But it felt good, so she didn't really mind. Tomorrow that would be different. Tomorrow she would have to face the consequences of her actions and although she was aware of that, somewhere in the recesses of her fading mind, she couldn't bring herself to think about it right now.

It was only when his hands tugged at her too short dress that some part of her drowsy mind woke up with a start. Panting, she staggered back a few steps.

"Sherry…" Gin growled impatiently and stepped closer to kiss her again, but the young scientist wouldn't respond to it like she had just moments ago. With an irritated snarl he broke the kiss.

"What is it, Sherry? A few minutes ago we couldn't have progressed fast enough for you and now you are standing here like a chaste virgin."

Her cheeks reddened at that and her gaze was glued to the floor, a nice dark wooden floor that she really liked, as she answered.

"I _am_ a virgin," she mumbled, so low that he almost couldn't understand her.

Yes, he had suspected as much. No, really, he had known that she was, despite her actions of tonight that really hadn't at all been virginal. And really, he would have hated the thought that his weren't the first hands to touch her so intimately. And yet he couldn't really say if he was happy about it. It would complicate things, and he didn't want to hurt her.

 _What?_ In that same moment Gin could have slapped himself for that thought. The girl didn't mean anything besides the obvious. It was the sexual tension, nothing else. It had built over months and now that he was so close, he didn't want to risk her deferring the eventual climax, that was all.

"Then we should change that, don't you think?" He tried to stay calm, to conceal his anger that was mostly directed at himself anyway.

When she only inched back further, however, he had to admit that he hadn't sounded too calm. He was drunk; maybe that was why he had so little control over his reactions. Yes, that was it, probably.

He sighed deeply and took off his coat to then proceed from the hall to the living room of his flat. He dropped down gracefully on the black sofa in the middle of the room.

"Come, sit with me," he coaxed, and this time he really did sound calm and collected.

Shiho hesitated for a few more moments but at last she bent down to take off her shoes and followed him inside obediently. Gin himself still wore his shoes but then he had never really understood this Japanese obsession of never walking inside a flat with one's shoes on. Yet he refrained from commenting on it. It wouldn't do to further break the mood.

When she finally arrived at his side, he hugged her close to him immediately, and when she relaxed in his embrace he brought her face up to his to kiss her again. Chastely. Tenderly. In a way he had never kissed a woman before. Surprised and quite disgruntled he had to ascertain that he enjoyed it.

In the end it was Sherry who deepened the kiss again and he gasped when he suddenly felt her nimble little fingers slipping beneath his jumper. He couldn't help but moan when she quite brazenly proceeded to caress his stomach and also his chest, a look of concentration but also reverie on her beautiful face. He moaned again, louder this time, when her fingers brushed over his nipples, just to see how she wound react. She blushed a little bit but she also grinned at him, like she had known that she could make him moan all along. Maybe she had. She seemed to know an awful lot where he was concerned.

Sherry probably didn't even notice how sexy that little confident smile that played on her lips was. He held her close but refrained – under physical pain – to explore her body further while he let her explore his. She traced the outlines of the muscles on his abdomen, a look of plain admiration on her face that left him feeling a tad too good, then she returned to his broad chest in an obvious attempt to make him moan some more. He did – it didn't feel particularly good, but neither was it unpleasant, and she really seemed to like the sound.

"Do you want me to take it off?" he asked after some time of enjoying her ministrations and the feel of her tongue in his mouth. He smirked, but didn't waste time to get rid of the cloth when she nodded hesitantly. He let her look – and look she did. He was certain that his wasn't the first male torso that she had seen in her life but the curiosity and admiration on her face was really quite rewarding. Needless to say, it made him even harder than he already was.

Gin decided that he had held back long enough for her sake and resumed exploring the pliant female body with his hands and lips and soon it was Sherry who moaned loudly when he brushed his fingers over her erect nipples over the fabric of her clothing. The damn dress had to go, though. He craved her skin, unconcealed to his eyes, his touch. Just a little more patience.

With a growl he pushed her on her back on the sofa to loom over her to explore the skin of her neck and the décolleté of the dress, and she whimpered when he let his hands wander inside. There was still the bra, unfortunately, but that would soon vanish, too.

He came back up and kissed her again passionately and this time she didn't object when his hands pushed the fabric of the dress upwards. On the contrary, after stroking her thighs and coaxing them apart she even lifted that delicious little arse of hers to help him push it up even further.

She squeaked when he grabbed her around the waist to pull her up into a sitting position, but it turned into a delightful little moan when he finally pushed the offending dress over her head to toss it as far away as he could without looking up. His gaze was practically glued to the pert little tits that were now only concealed by a plain, grey bra and Gin didn't waste time to let his hands explore the newly exposed flesh.

He pushed her back on the sofa to kiss her again, but was surprised to find her hands, which had tangled in his hair, push his head downwards quite insistently. He grinned, when he obeyed and let his lips wander down her neck and it was one of the most erotic sounds he could recall ever hearing when she moaned his name in delight as he pushed the fabric of the bra aside to take her left nipple in his mouth while he caressed the other through the annoying undergarment. To his utter delight, he found upon further exploration that it was one of those things that opened in the front and at this point he highly doubted that she would object anymore when he got rid of that thing as well.

He was right, of course and her hands stroked his head and shoulders feverishly when he sucked those pink little nipples in abandon.

Sherry moaned beautifully for him, she pushed her chest upwards to meet his touch, his lips and her hands were restless. It was perfect although his erection was by now downright painful. He didn't think it could get much worse, but he was proven wrong when she suddenly yanked him upwards for a passionate kiss again, this time with her hands not in his hair but on his hips and he hissed in surprise and pleasure when her right hand brushed sidewards to touch his erection through the fabric of his trousers and only moments later he felt those little fingers fumble with his buttons. He was very happy to help her push them down until she stopped and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You still have your shoes on?"

"I forgot to take them off. I was very distracted, you see."

She smiled that self-confident little smile again and got off the sofa to kneel in front of him to unlace them and then slip them off his feet.

Sherry was by no means a submissive woman and he knew she hated to be perceived as such. That she willingly got in this position was strange but at the same time very erotic. But it was only when she grinned up at him, a mischievous look on her face, that he couldn't help but moan darkly.

She got rid of his socks and his trousers quickly and then took her time to have a very good look at the outline of his erection beneath his briefs. He suddenly felt more like a study object than the man she was about to lose her virginity to, but he humored her for now. It was most likely the first time she came in such close contact with a penis after all, so he would let her examine it. Besides, this examination promised to be a very pleasant experience.

She then proceeded to very lightly touch him through the briefs, marveled at the contrast between the hard shaft and the soft sac beneath. It was hard to bear, with her fingers becoming increasingly bolder and her face so close he could feel the warmth of her breath through the fabric. Being so painfully close to her mouth was more than he could cope with right now and he had to close his eyes.

He reopened them rather quickly however when she suddenly pulled at the waistband of the last barrier between his hard flesh and these luscious lips…

He groaned at the very thought but still obediently helped her get them off him.

It was hard to feel her take him in her hand and stroke him experimentally. It was even harder when she very quickly grabbed it more firmly and began rubbing it. He closed his eyes in agony when her other hand simultaneously massaged his sac and he felt her hot breath on the skin there as she bent closer to thoroughly examine it.

It was too much when she tentatively kissed his weeping tip.

He roughly pulled her up on the sofa again.

"I can't let you do this."

She grinned.

"And here I was, thinking men generally liked that kind of thing."

He growled.

"I promise you can do that as often as you want later, but first…" he firmly put his right hand between her thighs. "I have something else in mind." She gaped at him and for the first time since he met her she was lost for words. It really was a condition that suited her exceedingly well.

The knickers were gone quickly and he couldn't help but marvel at the sight of this beautiful young woman lying naked beneath him on his sofa. She was perfect. The firm breasts with those pretty pink nipples that just begged to be sucked, the flat stomach, the wide hips and the toned thighs that still hid the center of his desire between them, it all was beyond beautiful. There was a little red-haired path there and he couldn't help but moan almost louder than she did when he finally brushed his hand over her folds. She was wet for him, and the flesh glistened enticingly as she opened her legs willingly to allow him better access.

Gin had never quite seen the pleasure in licking a woman, but right now he was very tempted to do it anyway. He wanted to know how she tasted, how she would react to it, how it would feel to have his fingers buried inside her when he made her come with his tongue. He was however not quite sure he would survive it if he further delayed the grand finale.

Yet, the grand finale probably wouldn't be so grand for her, seeing as it was her first time. He had never taken a girl's virginity before, but according to all he had heard it would not be pleasant for her. He suppressed a sigh when he divided her folds with his fingers to finally reveal everything to his eyes. The view killed his frustration rather quickly, though. Her moan was addictive and he was entranced by every sound, every movement she made while he explored her clit and finally dipped his fingers inside her. It came almost natural to him to bend down and taste her and the whimpering sounds that she now made were almost enough to make him come.

He really couldn't say how much time he had spent between her thighs, probably quite a lot but he had never felt the desire to stop. In fact, after he had finally felt her shudder and heard her scream his name in completion he couldn't help but wonder how long it would take him to make her come again. And then again. And then maybe once more for good measure.

However his erection by now throbbed too painfully to be ignored and the prospect of finally feeling those tight walls around his cock was too good to be delayed any further.

Gin was rather surprised when he felt Sherry's hands that had until now taken turns clawing the cushions and his head grab him rather forcefully to be kissed enthusiastically.

His cock slipped between her wet thighs and he knew he couldn't wait any longer. He positioned himself and was just about to slip inside when the first sane thought since a long time crossed his mind. Did she know about contraception? She probably did, seeing that she was a biologist. But was she…?

"What are you waiting for?"

Her impatient tone made him grin.

"You to conjure a condom."

"Oh. Right."

That certainly seemed to be dampening her lust considerably.

"So… do you…"

He contemplated answering in the negative just to see her reaction, her desperation, but he was by now too desperate himself to delay this any longer than strictly necessary.

"Bedroom."

With a heartfelt groan he got up and helped her stand as well. God, but she looked gorgeous. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were still a bit glassy from her orgasm, her juices glistening on her thighs, she was the epitome of everything that was arousing.

Maybe he should have felt some reluctance to take her hand and lead her to his bedroom to push her down on the sheets the moment they arrived there. He hadn't allowed a woman in his flat, let alone his bedroom in… ever. Yet he didn't. And he was too preoccupied with rummaging through his drawer that he cared.

Sherry by now had gotten up from the bed again and the distraction of her hands on his arse didn't really help him find the condoms any faster.

"Get back on the bed, Sherry, or I promise, the moment I find these bloody condoms, I'm going to take you against the wall."

She obeyed, after giving his throbbing member a languid stroke and making him groan almost desperately in the process.

"Minx."

And finally, finally he found the damn package. He couldn't remember ever putting a condom on as quickly as he did now.

He turned around to see Sherry sitting on his bed, her legs wide apart and tentatively touching herself. It almost made his legs give out.

Gin was quick to lie on top of her and position himself while kissing her frantically, but when he finally felt her wetness around his head he hesitated once more. He had to go slow. He didn't want to hurt her more than necessary.

And having such qualms in such a moment was wrong on so many levels that Gin wanted to scream in frustration.

Gladly, Sherry's body distracted him enough not to think about it any further as he gently and slowly entered her.

The little scientist dug her fingernails in his upper arms and was probably soon about to draw blood but he really couldn't care less. She was so tight, so wet, so perfect that not moving caused a lot more pain than her fingernails. Yet he waited until her grip on him softened somewhat and her face that had been contorted in pain relaxed gradually.

That bad, huh? Good thing he hadn't had a virgin before. Her really couldn't imagine being so patient with anyone else. And a good thing also that having one's cock inside such a perfect cunt prevented one sufficiently not to dwell on the reasons for why he was so patient with her.

Sherry smiled up at him tentatively and he took that as a cue to start moving although still agonizingly slowly so.

"Actually that doesn't feel so bad once the initial pain subsided," Sherry suddenly mused after a few minutes of pure torture. And her clinical observation, spoken in a flat, steady voice was like a slap in his face. Women were not allowed to sound that unaffected when he was currently fucking them! He sped up and thrust more forcefully and was content to notice that her moans and whimpers really didn't sound unaffected anymore.

"Sherry…" he couldn't help but moan, again and again. He wanted to tell her how good she felt, how he had wanted this for ages but he wasn't able to form words anymore. The scientist smiled up at him almost lovingly, certainly in a way she had never looked at him before and it was this moment that he fell over the edge with a shout of utter satisfaction. He carefully chose not to further think about that, even after he was able to think again.

He collapsed on top of her and it took him a few moments to work up the strength to roll off her.

"That really was nice, you know," Sherry mused after some time when Gin had already been close to falling asleep. "Although I think I like the cunnilingus even better." She stumbled a bit over the word cunnilingus and it was an unpleasant reminder of how drunk the little scientist really was. Nothing of this would have happened if she had been sober and somehow that thought was like a knife in his abdomen. He knew, he had had a knife in his abdomen twice.

It only took a few moments longer for Sherry to fall asleep, contently cuddled against his side and smiling blissfully.

Well, the next morning certainly wouldn't be blissful for her, he mused as he unconsciously stroked her back. Her pride would be considerably dented and in combination with the headache she would have it would be even more unpleasant. It made him almost look forward to it.

She would have no idea how to act around him and the moment she would have to get out of his bed, completely naked, to go and fetch her clothes in his living room under his appreciative gaze would be another highlight he could be looking forward to. Yet probably sooner rather than later he would take pity in her and kiss her again. He would be damned if this had been a one-time occurrence. Heavens, he wanted her again even now! Maybe he could wake her with his head between her legs but orgasms tended to mend dents in one's pride too well and he really wanted to enjoy that for a bit. Well, he would decide that in the morning.

He lazily stroked her hair as she slept, her arms wrapped possessively around his torso. He didn't doubt that she would want him again, not really. She had always wanted him, she had just been too proud, too cautious to act on it. He would make sure she wouldn't have such qualms again, at least until he would tire of her. Yet somehow he couldn't see that happening very soon.

With a little sigh, partly content, partly annoyed, and mostly unwilling to think about it, he found he wasn't quite so sure anymore who had tamed whom.

* * *

Yes, a little soppy in the end, but I kind of got carried away with the happy ending. I originally wrote this from Shiho's point of view and it was much darker then, despite describing the same thing. But somehow I didn't want this last chapter to be too dark, so here you go, live with it. As always, I hope you enjoyed it, and reviews make me happy :)


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